Harvard College Observatory (HCO)

The astronomical observatory of Harvard College at Cambridge, Massachusetts;
it was founded in 1839. The Observatory carries out a broad program of research
in astronomy and astrophysics and includes among its instruments the 0.38-meter
(15-inch) "Great Refractor," installed in 1847, which for 20 years was the
largest telescope in the United States. HCO is a partner in the Magellan
Telescopes project and owns telescopes at Oak Ridge, Massachusetts,
that are operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory (SAO). Since 1973, HCO and SAO have jointly run the Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics.